Comparison

Cooped Up vs High Risers

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Cooped Up

Navigate a vibrant sanctuary as a new exotic bird, flinging yourself upwards while avoiding obstacles and other quirky birds. Snack on tasty insects along the way and use boosts to ascend further. Compete with friends via Game Center.

Highlights
  • Intuitive twanging fling gameplay
  • Simple pick up and play
  • Game Centre support
  • Collect and eat insects
  • In-game boosts
Features
Read full description

You are the latest addition in the exotic bird sanctuary. The other older birds have been Cooped Up a little too long and are a branch short of a perch! Ahhemmm... they is a bit crazy! Fling yourself up up and away but watch out, there's more than just birds that you must avoid. However don't be afraid to snack on the way... ...and don't let the other birds laughing at you get you down! Pick yourself up and twang twang twang again! Features: - Intuitive twanging fling gameplay. - Simple pick up and play for all! - Full game centre support to compete with friends and foes - Eat worms, spiders and flies! Hmmm yummy!!! - Boost you way up like a steam train! Important information This game contains third party advertising which can be removed via a one time IAP. This game contains coins which can be collected within the game for free, bought with real money or via earned via promotions. This game contains cross promotion for other Nitrome games and this is not removed with the IAP for removal of ads.

About

High Risers

This game challenges players to ascend as high as possible by bouncing off walls. Strategize your ascent and utilize a golden parachute for a strategic advantage. Aim for the highest score by mastering the art of vertical movement.

Highlights
  • Bounce off walls
  • Ascend as high as possible
  • Utilize a golden parachute
  • Score-based gameplay
Features
Read full description

How to succeed at work without really trying: Bounce off the walls. Get as high as you can. Always bring a golden parachute.

Screenshots

Cooped Up4 screens
High Risers4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: High Risers at every 2 months against Cooped Up's every 17 months. High Risers also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 71%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Cooped Up's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cooped Up sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and High Risers sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

High Risers holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: High Risers has 946 ratings behind it against 85, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Cooped Up's written reviews are positive against 90% of High Risers's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cooped Up ships an update every 17 months, High Risers every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Cooped Up versus High Risers: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCooped UpHigh Risers
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (85 ratings)4.7 (946 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.7% of reviews90.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings85946 — better
Update frequencyEvery 17 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size157 MB57 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperNitromeKumobius

Customer experience

Cooped Up

All ratings85 ratings
Positive84.7%
Neutral7.1%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews198 reviews
Positive70.7%
Neutral8.1%
Negative21.2%

High Risers

All ratings946 ratings
Positive92.7%
Neutral3.0%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews739 reviews
Positive90.4%
Neutral3.7%
Negative6.0%

User reviews

Cooped Up

From 85 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Highly addictive gameplay mechanics
  • 🎨 Charming and unique pixel art style
  • 😄 Quirky humor and entertaining animations
  • 🎵 Catchy banjo music and sound design
  • ⚡ Fast-paced and responsive controls

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
  • 🐛 Screen flickering after watching ads
  • 🐛 Game incompatibility with iPad
  • 🐛 Upside-down screen glitches
  • 📺 Excessive and repetitive ads

High Risers

From 946 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Addictive and fun gameplay
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive controls
  • 💎 Cute pixel art graphics
  • 🎨 Variety of characters and backgrounds
  • 🕰️ Good time-killer for short breaks

Room to improve

  • 💰 Paid content for new characters and levels
  • 🔁 Repetitive gameplay after a while
  • 🔧 Occasional glitches and unresponsiveness

Bugs and requests

Cooped Up

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • Game crashes on launch or during gameplay
  • Screen flickering and glitching after ads
  • Upside-down screen display
  • Phone freezing or requiring restart
  • Jump mechanics not responding
Show 8 more
  • Achievement notifications not displaying
  • Trophy/score button unresponsive
  • Invincibility frames missing after bug collection
  • Screen rotation causing control issues
  • Frame rate drops during star animations
  • Black screen on startup
  • Incompatibility with iPad devices
  • Pixelated app icon on iPhone 6

Requested features

12 requests
  • Unlockable characters and skins
  • New maps and backgrounds
  • Additional enemy types and difficulty levels
  • In-game currency and upgrade system
  • Customizable bird options
Show 7 more
  • Story mode or narrative elements
  • Different game modes (rush mode, challenge mode)
  • Tutorial for new players
  • Leaderboard functionality improvements
  • Power-ups and special abilities
  • Bird care mechanics (feeding, washing, growing)
  • Mute settings that persist between sessions

High Risers

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Game crashes on older devices
  • Coins not registering properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • More unique level designs and obstacles
  • Ability to customize characters
  • Leaderboards and social features
  • Difficulty modes or challenges

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cooped Up

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99
13 purchases

High Risers

One-time13
  • Deter$0.99
  • Rover$0.99
  • Bones$0.99
Show 10 more
  • Hanzō$0.99
  • Night Life$0.99
  • Down Under$0.99
  • Lunar Base$0.99
  • Small Coin Pack$0.99
  • Space Pack$0.99
  • City Pack$0.99
  • Creatures Pack$0.99
  • Mount Olympus$2.99
  • Large Coin Pack$5.99

Questions

Is Cooped Up free?
Cooped Up is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is High Risers free?
High Risers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cooped Up or High Risers?
High Risers is rated higher. Cooped Up averages 4.5 out of 5 from 85 ratings, while High Risers averages 4.7 from 946 ratings.
Do Cooped Up or High Risers have ads?
Both Cooped Up and High Risers show ads.
Which is updated more often, Cooped Up or High Risers?
Cooped Up ships an update every 17 months, and High Risers every 2 months. Most recently, Cooped Up was updated on October 5, 2026 and High Risers on October 9, 2026.

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